Radio control apparatus



Oct. 26,1926. 1,604,533

C. P. RYAN RADIO CONTROL APPARATUS Filed Feb. 26. 1924 Patented Oct. 26, 1926.

UNITED STATES 1 Lenten PATENT QFEIQE.

GYRIL PERCY RYAN, OF EAST MOLESEY, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR TO VICKERS LIMITED, OF WESTMINSTER, LONDON, ENGLAND, A BRITISH COMPANY.

RADIO CONTROL APPARATUS.

Application filed February 26, 1924, Serial No.

This invention relates to radio control apparatus of the type in which a succession of radio impulses sent at predetermined regu lar intervals effects the operation of an osi cillating inertia member, such as a spring controlled wheel, in such a manner that the amplitude of its oscillations is built up by the successive impulses until it is sufficient to effect such operation as is required. The chief object of the present, invention is to reduce or eliminate the risk of interference with the oscillatory member by transmitting stations other than the controlling station.

According to this invention the oscillatory member is under the control of (at least) two differently tuned circuits adapted to receive timed impulses of different frequencies and each alone or both or all in combination arranged to act upon the oscillatory member and to cause it to build up its oscillations. Preferably two circuits are arranged for alternate operation, the transmitting station sending alternatesets of impulses, each set having a frequency (high relatively to the periodicity of the impulses themselves) corresponding to the frequency to which the two receiving circuits are tuned.

In order that the said invention may be clearly understood and readily carried into effect, the same will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a diagram illustrating a general arrangement of oscillatory wheel apparatus and operating circuit embodying this invention.

Figures 2 and 3 are diagrams of modified circuits.

A is the oscillatory inertia member in the form of a wheel or disc, pivoted at a in a support B and controlled by the coiled spring C which determines the natural oscillation period of the wheel. The spring is attached at one end to the pivot pin a and at the other to a stud b on the support B, the spring being adjusted to any period desired. I

D, D are controlling electromagnets, two being shown in the arrangement illustrated, the cores cl of which approach the periphery of the wheel A. The latter is provided with a pair of wedge-shaped soft iron pole pieces a at opposite sides of the wheel and adjacent to the electromagnets. The wedge form of the pole pieces a is intended to give a pulses are given. The wheel is used to control any desired operation when a given 695,192, and in Great Britain August 22, 1923.

amplitude has been attained, by, for eX- ample, closing an electrical circuit E through a contact arm a on the wheel spindle or pivot pin a and a stationary contact spring 6.

In the general arrangement of apparatus shown'in Figure 1 a tuned antenna circuit F is employed with a valve G in an ordinary radio receiving circuitand a telephone receiver H of loud speaker type emits the controlling signals as sound vibrations. It is to be understood that the signals which are to operate the wheel are sent out from' be controlling station in timed impulses at intervals corresponding to the natural period of the wheel, but having different acoustic frequencies; for example, in the case of two controlling electromagnets D, D two frequencies would be employed of say, 1,000 and 1,500 per second, the impulses ofthe two frequencies being alternated.

To excite the two electromagnets D, 1) independently of one another by means of the two transmitted frequencies two tuned acoustic receivers J, J are placed adjacent to the sound emitter H, these tuned receivers responding to the two different notes, ,say 1,000 and 1,500 vibrations per second respec tively. The acoustic tuning is effected in any known manner as, for example, by altering the effective length of the receivers J J by the telescopic tube arrangement shown. Each receiver J J carries an electrical transmitter 55, whichmay be a micr0- phone in the circuit K which includes the battery 70, operating the corresponding local telephone receiver L or L which serves as a relay for the local circuit M or M with batteries m, m controlled through the chattering contacts N, N each comprising a light almost balanced contact armresting on a reed Z belonging to the receiver L or L. WVhen one of if the tuned acoustic receivers J or J receives an impulse of the note to which it is tuned the telephone receiver L or L is affected and the vibration of the oscillating member Z causes the contact arm N or N to jump and by the intermittent breaking of the circuit M or M to alter the current in the electromagnct D or D. In the arrangement shown the magnets D, D are normally excited by the small current passing through the local circuit M or l so that they exercise a normal attraction upon the wedge-shaped pole pieces a of the wheel A, while any reduction in the magnetic flux due to the intermittent breaking of the exciting circui allows the spring 0 to turn the wheel. By properly timing the operation of the impulses the swing of the wheel increases and the amplitude is built up until the circuit E is closed through the contacts a and c.

The chattering contact relay shown in Figure 1 is. of course, given merely as an example and another method of operating the wheel is indicated in the diagram, Figure 2, where the acoustic receivers J, J operate the microphone circuits K K each having the primary k of a transformer, the secondary m of which is in the electron'iagnet circuit M M which includes a rectifier m The receiver impulses acting through the tuned acoustic receivers cause the corre sponding electromagnets to be excited intermittently through the rectified current in the local electromagnet circuits, the action of the wheel being the reverse to that previously described, as the electromagnets are excited at each impulse instead of having their normally acting exciting circuits in terrupted.

The acoustic apparatus above described is, of course, merely one example of receiving apparatus which may be employed for trans-,

itting the timed and tuned impulses and in Figure 3 the rectifying valves 0, O of the audion typeare shown in the circuit of the electromagnets D, D, these rectifying valves forming part of an ordinary tuned radio receiving circuit the other members of which are at F between the aerial f and the valves 0, O. The tuning at each side corresponds to the two frequencies employed in the control. In this case the rectified electrical. oscillations produced in the radio receiving circuit are directly employed for the excitation of the electromagnets.

The two periodiciti-es employed for the two sets of impulses may be either of high or of audible frequency. For example, a

I single high frequency may be used for both sets of signals, modulated to produce two different audio frequencies, or timed impulses of two diiferent high frequencies may be used if acoustic apparatus is not interposed. The valve receiver would be arranged accordingly for low or high frequency amplification or both.

With this double control of the oscillatory inertia member, in the event of the signals of one frequency being jammed by some outside station so that the receiver working at that frequency would not give the prop erly timed impulses to the inertia member, the second circuit would operate and build up the oscillation, though usually at a lower speed than if both circuits were operative.

WVhat I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is 1. In radio control apparatus, an operating oscillatory inertia member having a low natural period of swing, a plurality of electrical circuits having a plurality of oscillatory current controlling means one for each of said circuits adapted to respond to different frequencies under the control of a distant radio station and means by which the said circuits transmit successive timed impulses to the said inertia member whereby, if the impulses are timed to its natural )Gl'lOCl, the amplitude of its oscillations may be gradually built up to a predetermined operating level.

2. In radio control apparatus, an operating oscillatory inertia member having a low natural period of swing, a plurality of electrical circuits having a plurality of oscillatory current controlling means one for each of said circuits adapted to respond to different frequencies under the control of a distant radio station, and a plurality of electromagnetic devices, one for each of said circuits, which electromagnetic devices are adapted to act upon the said inertia member to transmit successive impulses adapted when properly timed to build up the oscillations of the member.

3. In radio control apparatus, an operat ing oscillatory inertia member having a low natural period of swing, a plurality of electrical circuits having a plurality of oscillatory current controlling means one for each of said circuits adapted to respond to different frequencies under the control of a distant radio station, a plurality of electromagnets, one for each of said circuits, excited intermittently under the control of the circuit, and corresponding pole pieces on the inertia member adapted for intermittent attraction by the corresponding electromagnets whereby the oscillations of the inertia member may be built up by suitably timed impulses.

4. In radio control apparatus an operating oscillatory inertia member having a low natural period of swing, a plurality of electrical circuits having a plurality of differently tuned acoustic receivers, one for lli tory current controlling means one for each of said circuits adapted to respond to different frequencies under the control of a distant station, a plurality of electromagnetic devices, one for each of said circuits, and a chattering contact'relay operated by each tuned circuit whereby the electromagnetic devices may be intermittently excited, and means by which the said electromagnetic devices act upon the inertia member to transmit successive impulses adapted when properly timed to build up the oscillations of the member.

6. In radio control apparatus an operating oscillatory inertia member having a low natural period of swing, a plurality of electrical circuits having a plurality of differently tuned acoustic receivers, one for each of the said circuits, a radio receiving circuit, a sound emitter operated through the said receiving circuit and adapted to operate the aforesaid tuned acoustic devices, a plurality of electromagnetic devices, one for each of the said circuits, a chattering contact relay operated by each tuned circuit whereby 'th-e electromagnetic devices may be intermittently excited, and means by which the said electromagnetic devices act upon the inertia member to transmit successive impulses adapted when properly timed to build up the oscillations of. the member.

7. In radio control apparatus, an operating oscillatory wheel, a spring control for the said Wheel whereby its period of swing is determined, a contact device operated by the said wheel when angularly displaced a predetermined distance from its normal position, a plurality of electrical circuits having a plurality of oscillatory current controlling means one for each of said circuits adapted to respond to different frequencies under the control of a distant radio station and means by Which the said circuits transmit succes ive timed impulses to the oscillatory wheel, whereby the amplitude of its oscillations may be built up by properly timed impulses until its contact device is operated.

CYRIL PERCY RYAN. 

